2025 Speakers
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KEYNOTE
Jason Evans, Ph.D.
Dean of the College of Food Innovation and Technology (CFIT)
Johnson & Wales University
TOWN HALL
James Jones
Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods
FDA
Steve Mandernach, J.D.
Executive Director
AFDO
CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
Ola Afolayan
Director, Global Food Safety and Regulatory
Kellanova
James (Jim) W. Arbogast
Director, Global Food Safety and Regulatory
Kellanova
Al Baroudi, Ph.D.
VP, QA and Food Safety
The Cheesecake Factory
Sharon Beals
Founder
SKKB-LLC
Sharon Birkett
Vice President Global QA Operations
OSI Group
Adrienne Blume, M.A.
Editorial Director
Food Safety Magazine
Vanessa Coffman, Ph.D.
Director
Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness
Dr. Darin Detwiler, LP.D, M.A.Ed.
Founder/CEO
Detwiler Consulting Group LLC
Robin Forgey
AGMM, Food Safety and Quality Assurance
Costco Wholesale
Donna Garren, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President, Science and Policy
American Frozen Food Institute
Oscar Garrison
Director of Quality Assurance and Food Safety
United Egg Producers
Melody Ge
Founder
Women in Food Safety
Rebecca Guzy
Director of Research
Frick's Quality Meats
Patrick Guzzle
Vice President of Food Science and Industry
National Restaurant Association
Jorge Hernandez
VP, Quality Assurance
The Wendy's Company
Tim Jackson
Regulatory, Sr. Science Advisor
FDA
Lee-Ann Jaykus, Ph.D.
William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and NoroCORE Scientific Director
North Carolina State University
Matt Jenkins
Manager
McDonald's
Lone Jespersen, Ph.D.
Principal
Cultivate SA
Priya Kadam
Senior Advisor
FDA Human Foods Program/Office of Microbiological Food Safety
Deb Kane, MS
VP, Food Safety, Quality, EHSS and Regulatory
J&J Snack Foods Corp
Gillian Kelleher
CEO
Kelleher Consultants LLC
Monica Khoury
Senior Quality Expert
Nestle
Mike Learakos
CEO
Abound Food Care
Alvin Lee, Ph.D.
Director of the Center for Processing Innovation
Institute for Food Safety and Health
Glenda Lewis, MSPH
Director, Retail Food Protection Staff
FDA
Michael Lookup
Traceability Lead
Wegmans
Steven Lyon, Ph.D.
Director, Food Safety - Field Operations
Chick-Fil-A Inc.
Steve Mandernach, J.D.
Executive Director
AFDO
Spir Marinakis
VP of Food Safety, Quality and Technical Services
Maple Leaf Foods
Drew McDonald
Senior Vice President Quality & Food Safety
Taylor Fresh Foods
Brendan Niemira, Ph.D.
Research Leader
USDA
Kathleen O'Donnell
Chief Scientist
Wegmans
Donald Prater, D.V.M.
Acting Director of the Office of Food Policy and Response
FDA
Robert Prevendar
Director, Global Food Safety & Quality Assurance
Yum! Brands
Kim Rice
Food Safety and Quality
Rose Acre Farms
Donna Schaffner
Retired from Rutgers University
Matt Stasiewicz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Applied Food Safety
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Shawn Stevens
Founding Member
Food Safety Counsel
Glenn Stolowski
Director Retail Food Safety
HEB
Peter Taormina, Ph.D.
Founder and President
Etna Consulting Group
Hilary Thesmar
FMI
Christopher Waldrop, M.P.H.
Senior Health Scientist
Office of Surveillance Strategy & Risk Prioritization, Human Foods Program, FDA
Roberta Wagner
Senior Vice President, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs
International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)
Nickolas Waters
Market Director, Food Safety
Sysco Corporation
Michael Wood, Ph.D.
Manager, Food Safety and Quality
Kroger
Jeremy Zenlea
Director, Head of Health and Safety
EG America
Rosalind Zils
VP, Head of Global Quality Nutrition
Reckitt
CERTIFICATE COURSE INSTRUCTORS
Karleigh Bacon
Director, US Food Safety and Quality Systems
McDonald's
Claudia Coles
President
Seafood Products Association (SPA)
Deanna Copeland
Retail Food Safety Director
AFDO
Joetta DeFrancesco
Retail Program Standards Coordinator
NEHA
Roy Fenoff
Associate Professor
The Citadel
Kathy Gombas
Senior Advisor
FSMA Implementation Solutions
Tim Jackson, Ph.D.
Regulatory, Sr. Science Advisor
FDA
Sara Mortimore, MSc, FRSPH, MIFST
Former Vice President and Global Subject Matter Expert
Walmart Inc.
Carrie Rigdon, Ph.D.
Research Director
Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO)
John Spink, Ph.D.
Director
Michigan State University
Melissa Vaccaro, MS, CP-FS
Senior Food Safety Program Specialist
NEHA
SOLUTIONS STAGE PRESENTERS
Hannes Pouseele
Global Architect for Data and Genomics Solutions, bioMérieux Industry Unit
TECH TENT PRESENTERS
Chris Earnest
Inside Sales Manager, CEJN North America
Mike Fabian
Manager of CompuClean, Spartan Chemical Company, Inc.
Susanne Moore
CEO, S4i Systems, Inc. dba SMRTR
Joe Scioscia
Executive Vice President, VAI